Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 September 2021
312. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of and position regarding plans to counter the impact of climate change, in particular the impact of a rise in sea level and coastal flooding on residents and the public transport network in the coastal areas of Fingal, Dublin city and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46704/21]
View answerIn 2018, €1bn investment was made available to the Office of Public Works over the lifetime of the National Development Plan 2018-2027 to implement the recommendations of the Flood Risk Management Plans as part of Project 2040. This investment is to underpin the delivery of the existing capital flood relief programme and the additional flood relief schemes recommended in the Flood Risk Management Plans. These plans set out the proposed measures, including physical flood defence works / schemes, to address the significant flood risks identified, in a comprehensive and sustainable way. The proposed measures take into account the potential impacts of climate change, and address the need to assess and mitigate environmental impacts. The plans include a number of schemes in the coastal areas of Fingal, Dublin City and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and updates on these schemes are detailed below.
The Local Authorities work closely with the OPW as the Approving Authority to manage flood risk. Each scheme will be subject to an assessment of adaptability for future climate change within its particular context, and, as appropriate, provisions will be made in the design and construction of the schemes to cater for potential future changes. The Brief for the detailed development of the schemes includes a requirement for a Scheme Adaptation Plan, which will set out how climate change has been taken into account during the design and construction, and what adaptation or alternate measures might be needed into the future.
The Government has also established an Inter-Departmental Group on Managing Coastal Change to scope out an approach for the development of a national co-ordinated and integrated strategy to manage the projected impact of coastal change to our coastal communities, economies, heritage, culture and environment. The Inter-Departmental Group is jointly chaired by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the OPW and will bring forward options and recommendations for the Government to consider.
Dublin City
Dodder (tidal)
As part of the Dodder River (Tidal) Flood Alleviation Scheme, the flood defence works downstream of Ballsbridge are complete and provide a 100-year standard of protection for the fluvial scenario and a 200-year standard for tidal events including freeboard.
South Campshires:
The South Campshires Flood Protection Project primarily provides flood protection to the South inner city of Dublin from Georges Quay to approximately 50m east of the Samuel Beckett Bridge. The project is now substantially complete following work by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Dublin City Council (DCC).
Sandymount:
Consultants were engaged in 2021to carry out further work on wave overtopping on the promenade and advise on rock armour sizes for the promenade.
Clontarf:
A number of environmental and topographical surveys have been carried out. The existing sea wall has been drone-surveyed and a structural/leachate survey of the wall has also been carried out. A decision on the flood-wall line is awaited.
A public communications plan is being put in place by the area office and a steering group meeting is to take place with the local councillors in October.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council are currently working closely with the OPW to manage flood risk on three main river catchments in the County. These river catchments are:
Loughlinstown where a Consultant has been appointed and early design work has already commenced in this Catchment
Carysfort-Maretimo and Old Connacht/Wilford, which will both be addressed in the next phase of the FRMP implementation.
Fingal
In some cases, CFRAM identified that technically viable flood relief schemes for certain communities would not be economically, viable based on the level of assessment of the CFRAM Studies. In such cases a Scheme Viability Review (SVR) will be undertaken to review and confirm the likely viability of a scheme for the community.
OPW are responsible for procuring a Scheme Viability Review to review and confirm the likely viability of a scheme for the following locations; Skerries, Rush, Malahide & Portmarnock.
Sutton / Howth North
Assessments of the Sutton/Baldoyle area as part of CFRAM Programme confirmed that the progression of the impacts of climate change will be slow and will evolve over a prolonged period. The ‘Sutton & Howth North’ area has been retained as an Area for Further Assessment under the second cycle of the EU Flood Directive, which is required to consider and plan for the potential impacts of climate change. Based on that, flood protection measures will be assessed and, where viable, implemented in staged process as the impacts of climate change develop.
